


the kids aren’t alright

by thnderchld



Series: the kids aren’t alright [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Canon Divergence, Gen, for now, if theyre even friends smh, platonic, trans!neil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 10:52:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15862155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thnderchld/pseuds/thnderchld
Summary: A new town, a new family, and 12-year-old Andrew Minyard has seen it all. At least, that is until he meets Nathaniel, a mysterious outcast, and a resistant friendship starts to form.AU where the Spears are in Baltimore and it’s more normal crime family stuff. Neil’s trans.





	the kids aren’t alright

Another town, another home, and Andrew knew the routine. With a shitty bedroom belonging to a family that is at best scrounging for benefits, what use was there in even bothering to get adjusted to his surroundings? White walls, sparing furniture, what use was it when he’d be leaving soon anyway. Mrs Spears had insisted that he call her ‘Cass’, but the name felt clumsy on his tongue.

The door opened and she peeked her head in, jerking him from his thoughts. Already so young and so hurt, he pulled together that façade of boredom. She didn’t seem fazed. “Hello, love, just wanted to know if you’d settled in yet. There’s dinner in the kitchen.”

He fixed her with his stare, and followed her through to the kitchen. A few photos rested on the wall, and he knew that these had to be other foster children that had passed through her arms. He looked at her, and then at the plate with its array of fish sticks and steamed peas.

“Oh, those bottom three are staying here as well.” She moved to take his arm and he subtly side-stepped her touch. “That’s Neeve, Lee and Drake. I’m sure you’re going to fit right in.”

-

Another fixture of routine was the thing of always being the new kid. At least people quickly got the hint to leave him alone, it wasn’t quite as easy for them to stem the whispers and glances. Classes were the worst, when they would ask him to describe himself. The violence of his head helped.

The only interesting thing was in Math when they set him next to a boy a year or so younger than himself. He was focused on stabbing a pencil with an apple, watching the juice leak out onto the desk as his brow drew into an expression of fierce concentration.

Suddenly he paused and his eyes darted to Andrew. His frown got deeper, and he worried his lip where he didn’t think Andrew could see. He sported a head of straight auburn hair, with a pair of eyes so blue it was unnatural.

“Am I bothering you?” he asked.

“Yep,” Andrew said, and looked at the apple. “Looks like someone’s got issues.”

The boy wrinkled his nose, shoving the apple into his pencil case. “Fuck off.”

“Cecilia!” yelled the teacher, and the kid hunched his shoulders up tight. “Can you explain what to do next in algebraic expansion?” Her marker made a smear beneath the formula, as she stared the two boys down. “Keep focus.”

The teacher turned away, and Andrew stared. “ _Cecilia_? That’s an odd name for a–“

The kid stabbed the apple again, even through the pencil case. “My name is Nathaniel and I’m a boy.” The line of his spine was rigid, and Andrew grinned as this kid exposed a first weak spot.

“Like I said,” Andrew turned back to face the board, “Issues.”


End file.
